External hard drive and usd cable

[Saurabh Pillai]

I am planning to buy WD passport external HD.

I went through reviews and many people reported this issue that sometimes laptop just stops recognizing HD. Reason is some laptop could not provide enough power to HD or HD could not draw enough power from laptop. I have also faced this problem in past for 500GB HD. But that had a kind of special USB cable, it had 2 pin at one end and 1 pin at other end. so if I connect only one pin in laptop , it does not recognize my HD but when I connect both pins into laptop, it recognizes it.

so my guess is I would have the same issue with above HD. I am planning to buy this HD, but I don't know how to search for that special cable? What do you call it?

and any comments on this HD is welcome.

Thank you.

[Saurabh Pillai]

I got it. It's called USB Y cable.

[Peter Johnson]

I am also in the market for one of those cables (mine sprouted legs and walked off a few months ago...). I searched for usb y cable.

[Saurabh Pillai]

you are also having similar issue?